Frankfort,Ky. - Governor Fletcher announced today that a $1.5 million energy research and development fund has been launched to help the state’s public universities enhance their energy research and development capacity. The formation of the “Energy R&D Fund” was recommended in the Governor’s Comprehensive Energy Strategy released last February.

Specifically, $1 million in “matching grants” is now available for energy-related R&D projects at public universities to be used to compete for larger sums of federal and private research dollars. The remaining $500,000 is available as “seed grants” to support future energy R&D at Kentucky’s public universities.

“The Federal energy bill authorizes billions of dollars for energy research and development. Our grant money will help Kentucky’s public universities compete for these federal dollars,” Governor Fletcher added. “Attracting additional federal resources is a priority of my administration to enhance our state’s research capacity and create jobs and opportunities for Kentucky’s students.”

“This is yet another example of how the Kentucky Office of Energy Policy (KOEP) is working to implement the Governor’s comprehensive energy strategy,” stated Jason Bentley, the Executive Director for the KOEP. “This is not a report that is intended to gather dust but an active strategy to secure Kentucky’s energy future.”

Interested universities should contact Jason Bentley of the Office of Energy Policy at (502) 564-7192, to discuss the terms of participation. Additional information about this solicitation is available on the KOEP website at www.energy.ky.gov.